Nairobi, Feb. 23 -- The future of artificial intelligence (AI) use in Africa's digital economy is under scrutiny in the wake of an investigation by the Comesa Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) into US tech giant Meta over changes to its messaging platform WhatsApp that may limit access for third-party AI services.

The investigation, announced February 18, follows a complaint by Uganda-based lobby AdLegal after Meta amended its WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October 2025, barring external AI providers from using the Business Application Programming Interface (API).

Meta's free WhatsApp Business app is designed for small business owners to communicate with customers, including those using the standard WhatsApp app. It suppor...